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The main feud heading into The Great American Bash was between The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) and The Undertaker. On the May 27 episode of SmackDown!, Paul Heyman told The Dudleys to "make an impact".[7][8] As part of the storyline, The Dudleys responded by abductingPaul Bearer, Undertaker's manager.[7][8] The following week, Heyman told Undertaker that the only way he would ever see Bearer again, was to align himself with The Dudleys.[9][10] Two weeks later, on the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, a Handicap match match between The Dudleys and The Undertaker was booked for The Great American Bash, with the stipulation being if Undertaker lost, Bearer, as part of the scripted events, would be cemented in a glass crypt.[11][12]

One of the main matches on the undercard was a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for the WWE United States Championship between the champion, John Cena, René Duprée, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam. At Judgment Day, Cena defeated Duprée to retain the United States Championship.[15] Four days later, on SmackDown!, Cena faced Duprée in a rematch for the title. Duprée executed a low blow on Cena outside the ring, which caused Cena to be counted out. Duprée won the match, but not the title since a championship cannot be lost via countout or disqualification.[16][17] The following week, Cena defeated Duprée in a Lumberjack match to retain the title.[7][8] On the June 3 episode of SmackDown!, Cena confronted Booker about his interference in the Lumberjack match the week before. As General Manager Kurt Angle told Cena to leave the arena, Booker attacked Cena from behind and pushed him onto Angle. Angle claimed he was going to strip Cena of the United States Championship for what he did.[9][10] The next week, on SmackDown!, Cena faced Booker, Van Dam, and Duprée, respectively, in one-on-one matches with a five-minute time limit.[18][19] The man to defeat Cena would become the number-one contender to the United States Championship at The Great American Bash. Cena, however, won all three matches as no man was able to defeat him within the time limit.[18][19] This led to Angle booking Cena in a Fatal Four-Way match for the title at The Great American Bash.[18][19] On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, Angle changed the match to an elimination match.[11][12]

The Divas rivalry heading into the event was between Sable and Torrie Wilson. Sable and Torrie teamed together at WrestleMania XX and defeated Raw Divas Miss Jackie and Stacy Keibler,[20] but when Torrie was featured on the cover of SmackDown! Magazine, Sable displayed jealousy over Torrie's cover and berated her in a backstage segment, leading to a brawl between the two Divas. As a result, Sable became a heel once again.[21] The events led to the announcement that Sable and Torrie will face each other at The Great American Bash.

The following match was between two divas, Sable and Torrie Wilson. Sable controlled Wilson throughout the contest, as she choked her using the bottom rope and applied a criss-cross choke. After both women ran into each other, Sable pinned Wilson with a schoolgirl to win the match.[2][3] As part of their storyline, the referee counted the pinfall even though Wilson's shoulders were off the mat.[2][3]

The next match was a Texas Bullrope match for the WWE Championship between champion Eddie Guerrero and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). Throughout the duration of the match, both men were strapped together by a rope, with a cowbell attached in the center. In order to win the bout, one must touch all four turnbuckles (one in each corner of the ring) in succession. One preplanned move in the match saw Guerrero hit JBL with a steel chair, which caused JBL to bleed. Guerrero then got back in the ring and went on to touch three turnbuckles; however, he was unable to touch the fourth as JBL was holding him back. Guerrero executed a dropkick on JBL and attempted to touch the fourth again. JBL, however, held him back and took the advantage. JBL threw Guerrero into the Spanish announce table and executed a powerbomb onto him through it. Towards the end of the match, each man had touched three turnbuckles and were vying for the fourth. Guerrero attempted to jump over JBL and touch the remaining turnbuckle, but was unsuccessful; he splashed himself and JBL into the turnbuckle as a result. Guerrero was declared the winner, as it appeared he had touched all four turnbuckles first, but General ManagerKurt Angle came out and reversed the decision.[2][3][5] He showed on the TitanTron that JBL had touched the final turnbuckle before Guerrero; as a result, JBL was declared the winner and new WWE Champion.[2][3][5]

The final match on the card was the main event, which saw The Undertaker face off against The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) in a Handicap match. Per the pre-match stipulation, Paul Bearer would be cemented in a glass crypt if Undertaker lost. Throughout the duration of the match, Bearer was locked on a chair inside a glass crypt with the pump of cement truck above him. After a match evenly controlled by The Undertaker and The Dudleys, Undertaker pinned D-Von following a Tombstone Piledriver to win.[2][3] After the match, Undertaker pulled the lever to the cement truck, which in turn filled the crypt with Bearer inside full of cement.[2][3]

Following the conclusion of his title match against JBL at the event, Eddie Guerrero began to feud with Kurt Angle. During a Steel Cage match between Guerrero and JBL for the WWE Championship, El Gran Luchadore (Kurt Angle in disguise) interfered on JBL's behalf, which allowed JBL to escape the cage and win the match.[24][25] After the match, Guerrero attacked El Gran Luchadore and pulled off his mask, revealing him to be Kurt Angle.[24][25] The following week, Vince McMahon scheduled a match between the two at SummerSlam.[26][27] Angle won the match, and their feud concluded at the November pay-per-view, Survivor Series, when Guerrero's team defeated Angle's in a 4 on 4 Survivor Series match.[28]

On the July 8 episode of SmackDown!, Booker T challenged John Cena for the WWE United States Championship. During the match, General Manager Kurt Angle and Luther Reigns interfered on Booker's behalf, and Booker inadvertently caused Cena to attack Angle. The match ended in a disqualification subsequently thereafter; however, Angle stripped Cena of the title for attacking him.[29][30] On the July 29 episode of SmackDown!, Booker T won the vacant United States Championship after last eliminating Rob Van Dam in an elimination match.[31][32] The following week, Cena defeated Van Dam to become the number-one contender to the title.[33][34]Theodore Long, who proceeded Angle as General Manager after he was fired as part of the storyline, announced that Cena would be facing Booker in a "Best of 5 series", in which the winner would be the man who earns three victories over the other first. Cena defeated Booker in the first match at SummerSlam,[22] and eventually won the fifth and final match at No Mercy to begin his second reign as United States Champion.[23][35]